Fire-escape



N0. 612,673. Patented Oct. I8, |8198. J. HEIDY & '.l. NAUGHTUN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

mppxicacion mea my 25, 199s.

(No Model.)

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ilNiTnn STATES JAMES REIDY AND JAMES NAUGHTON, OF PONTOOSUC, MASSACHUSETTS.` i

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,673, dated October ,18, 1898.

Application led May 25, 1898. Serial No. 681,669. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.- i

Be it known that we, JAMES REIDY and J AMES NAUGHTON, of Pontoosuc, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in lire-escapes of that class which comprises a spool carrying a cable and means for controlling the turning of said spool and for attaching one end of the cable to the building and for attaching the fire-escape to the body of the Our invention comprises the novel featuresV hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is aperspective view of our device. Fig. 2 is a cross-seetion through the frame and spool of the device, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal; section taken through the 'frame and spool.

The object of our invention is to provide a device which is easily portable and may be carried by `travelers and conveniently attached to a building and used for lowering lone or morepersons.

when the sections are swung open the shaft is free to be removed. The lower section A is provided with an upwardly-extending arm or lug d', adapted to engage one side edge of` the upper section B. Mounted upon the same face of the lower section are spring-catches D, provided at their upper ends with teeth d, adapted when the two sections are folded together to engage notches b in the upper secbuilding.

tion A and hold the two sections of the frame together. 4

The shaft C is provided with a collar C adjacent to the inner surfaceof one side of the frame. This forms a thrustbearing and prevents movement of the shaft in that direction. Upon the central portion of the shaft between the two sides of the frame is loosely j ournaled a spool E, upon which is wound the cable G, .preferably made of smallv wires twisted together. Upon each end of the spool and between thesame and the frame are j ournaled the disks F and Fp. Each of these disks is provided on the surface next to the spool with a layerf,of leather or suitable friction material, adapted to create considerable friction when pressed against theend of `the spool. The disks F and Fare loosely journaled upon the shaft and are prevented from rotating by lugs e, extending from the periphery of the disks and adapted to engage the upper crossbar of the upper frame B. This is .clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The twosections A and B of the frame are pivoted to each other at one side of the center. In` consequence of this when the upper section B is swung downwardthe cross-bar thereof will be removed a greater distance from the shaft C and so that the lugs e upon the disks will Vclear the cross-bar. When the upper section Bis swung up into position, the disks will, however, be permitted to revolve only enough to bring the lugs e, into contact with the cross-bar.

The disk F is threaded to receive a threaded section C2 upon one end of the shaft C. The other end of the shaft C is provided with a hand-wheel C3, by which it may be rotated. By this means the two disks F and vF may be forced against the ends of the spool and any amount of friction necessary to suspend the weight may be readily produced. The cable G in passing from the spool passes through a slot b in the cross-bar of the frame B. At its outer end the cable is provided with a loop through which is passed a strap H, by means of which the device Amay be attached to any convenient projection near a window of a The lower half of the frame A is provided with two staples I, adapted to receive hooks J 2 upon straps J the latter be IOO ing in turn attached to a strap J, which is adapted to act as a belt to encircle the body of the user.

In using our device the end of the cable G is secured near the window, the strap H Inaking it possible to do this in all cases. Vhere a convenient object is accessible about which the strap H may be placed, the strap is placed about this object. There the strap I-I is too short to go about the object, the cable G may be placed about it and the strap H looped over the cable. Having secured the end of the cable, the strap J is secured about the body of the user. Friction is then applied to the ends of the spool, so as to prevent its rotation. Vhen the party gets outside of the window, the friction is then relieved sufficiently to allow the spool to turn loosely.- In this way a person may lower himself to the ground at any speed desired.

This device may be made of sufficient capacity to carry a lengthy cable adapted to reach to the ground from any ordinary building and of such a weight that it may be easily carried. It is thus rendered possible for travelers to have a fire-escape with them ready for use under all circumstances.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A fire-escape, comprisin ga frame formed in two parts, which are hinged together and provided with shaft-bearings in the hinged joint, a shaft mounted in said bearings, aspool journaled on the shaft, friction-disks engageable with the spool and means for forcing the disks against the spool, substantially as described.

2. Afire-escape, comprisingaframe formed in two parts, which are hinged together and provided with shaft-bearings in the hinged joint, ashaft mounted in said bearings, a spool journaled on the shaft, friction-disks engageable wit-l1 the ends of the spool and held against rotation, a cable-guide upon the upper section of the frame, and means for forcing the disks against the spool, substantially as described.

3. A fire-escape, comprising a frame formed in two parts, which are hinged together and provided with shaft-bearings in the hinged joint, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a spool journaled on the shaft, friction-disks engageable with the spool and held against rotation, a cable-guide at the upper end of the frame, and a threaded connection between the shaft and one of the disks whereby the disks may be forced against the spool, substantially as described.

4. Alire-escape, eomprisingaframe formed in two parts, which are hinged together and provided with shaft-bearings in the hinged joint, spring-catches engaging and holding the two parts together, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a spool journaled on the shaft, friction-disks engageable with the spool and held against rotation, a threaded connection between one of the disks and the shaft, and a hand-wheel upon the shaft by which it may be turned, substantially as described.

5. Aiire-escape, comprisingaframe formed in two parts, which are hinged together and provided with shaft-bearings in the hinged joint, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a spool journaled on the shaft, friction-disks engageable with the spool and held against rotation, a threaded connection between one of the disks and the shaft, and a hand-wheel upon tbe shaft by which it may be turned, substantially as described.

6. Are-escape, comprisingaframe formed in two parts., which are hinged together and provided with shaft-bearings in the hinged joint, means for rotating the two parts together, a shaft mounted in the bearings in the frame and having a thrust-bearing at one end, a spool journaled on the shaft, friction-disks engageable with the spool and held against rotation, a cable-guide upon the upper section of the frame, a belt suspended from the lower section of the frame, and means for forcing the disks against the spool, substantially as described.

7. In a fire-escape, a frame having a shaft therein, a spool journaled upon the shaft and adapted to receive a cable, friction-disks upon the shaft at each end of the spool, and having a projecting peripheral lug adapted to engage the frame to prevent rotation, and means for forcing the disks against the spool, substantially as described.

8. In a tire-escape, a frame formed in two parts, hinged together and having shaft-journals in the hinged joint, means for locking the two parts together, a shaft in said journals, a spool j ournaled on said shaft, frictiondisks loose upon said shaft at the ends of the spool and having projecting lugs adapted to engage the frame to prevent rotation, and means for forcing the disks against the ends of the spool, substantially as described.

9. A fire-escape, comprisingaframe formed in two parts,hinged together and having shaftbearings in the joint, means for locking the two parts together, a spool having a shaft fitting in said bearings and means for applying friction to the spool, substantially as described.

JAMES REIDY. JAMES NAUGHTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. VAN DEUsEN, RICHARD L. VAN DEUsEN.

IOO

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